Make Your Own Christmas Wreath
By Herta and Anna Kingdom

Christmas is a great time to do something creative and I love using natural, local, and free materials to brighten up the home. Why not go foraging and create your own unique wreath to adorn the front door and create a festive welcome?

Materials you’ll need:
- Sharp scissors or secateurs
- String or thin wire wrapped around peg
- Wreath base (see step 1)
- Foliage

Step 1: Make a wreath base
I often find long bits of hazel, willow or dogwood in the woods. These can be bent round and round to make a round base, and then tied with string. There is a bit of a knack to it, but give it a few goes and it does not need to be a perfect circle. Alternatives are any kind of round structure/ring you can find.

Step 2: Go foraging
Go for a walk in the park or local woods. Look in your own garden or visit a friend’s if you don’t have one. Foliage that keeps well is often fairly firm and includes all conifers, eucalyptus, yew, and holly. To avoid holly prickles, pick from higher up or use gloves.

Step 3: Prepare the materials
It helps if you cut all the greenery into lengths of about 10cm in advance, and remove leaves from the bottom, ready to use. Place the foliage into little bunches.

Step 4: Start
Tie the string round the base to start and then lay a bunch against your ring. Secure by winding the string/wire around it. Take another bunch and lay it slightly further along. Again, secure with the string/wire. Carry on all the way round.

Step 5: A neat end
Once you get all the way round, tuck the stems of the last bunch under the ends of the first bunch. Tie a strong knot to finish off. You may be able to see the join but probably nobody else will notice!

Step 6: Final adornments
Even at this stage, extra bits of foliage or berries can be pushed in amongst the rest. You can also add bows, pinecones or baubles.

And … display the wreath on your front door for all to see.

Two extra tips:
1) Spray your wreath with water every day or so to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

2) I always use cut-offs from my Christmas tree.

Information on Greener Lindfield can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenerlindfield; or email greenerlindfield@gmail.com.

In partnership with Lindfield Rural Parish Council and several local organisations including Lindfield Horticultural Society and Fairer World Lindfield, Lindfield Parish Council are pleased to launch Greener Lindfield, an exciting new initiative bringing together groups, individuals and businesses across the village to encourage and support sustainable gardening practices.

The aims of this alliance are to help local residents find ways to reduce garden waste, improve biodiversity, protect wildlife, and promote alternatives to harmful chemicals. We plan to achieve this by bringing people together to share existing knowledge and generate new ideas, and by encouraging everyone to take the initiative and try something new. If we all work together we really can make a difference.

Lindfield Life have kindly invited us to contribute a monthly article with hints, tips and ideas for combining a love of gardening with a love of the environment. But we’re far from experts, so would love to hear from anyone who has suggestions or who has made their own contribution towards greening the village, which we could support and possibly emulate. In addition to these articles, please join our Facebook group or email us on greenerlindfield@gmail.com if you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting new project and have ideas to share, whether as an individual or part of a group or business.

March is generally considered to be the start of the gardening year, and now is a great time to think about sowing seeds. Even if you haven’t grown flowers or produce from scratch before, why not try sowing a few seeds in a pot on the windowsill? Perhaps some tasty tomatoes, or flowers like marigolds which will not only add a splash of colour, but also encourage pollinators and deter pests.

Our goal is to stimulate a dialogue throughout Lindfield, working as an umbrella organisation to draw together and increase visibility on existing projects and to provide a forum to support and empower everyone to get involved. Just like with the seeds, if we can provide the right conditions for growth, who knows what we might achieve!

Make your own Christmas wreath at home with help from Greener Lindfield

Greener Lindfield is here to support sustainable gardening practices